Depression, Anxiety

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by sneaky

sounds very familiar to me..

company preaches mental health, I got a chat for 'too many' days off last year and I have a sick leave balance of around 100 days (good award and long time at the company)

Maybe the company has good intentions that get lost in the layers of management.. CEO wants to do the right thing, his underlings put targets on their underlings who intern put targets on their underlings and all of a sudden people are being 'chatted' for taking leave. Or maybe they like to preach that they care when they don't really care and it is good corporate image to say they care.

My new manager said I had taken the most sick leave in the team last year. He showed me the calendar - 7 weeks for appendicitis, another week for medical reasons on certificate, another week on certificate for mental health because I was at breaking point and other random days or hours here and there to see doctors/specialists/psychologist - any time was shown as an 'occasion' on the report.

now when I'm sick or at a low point and feel like a break is needed i'm hesitant to call in sick. I'm more likely to log in to the computer and stuff around for a few hours or the day because I don't think 'metal health' would be seen as a good reason.

I can relate to all that.

Funniest/saddest one I had was several years ago I had an eye operation.
Doctor wrote a certificates for 1 week off and 3 weeks of day work only.

A manager read my certificate and said I was no good to them working day work only. They said I should take the whole 4 weeks off and recover properly since I had so much sick leave saved up. I agreed and got a certificate for 4 weeks.

Less than a year later another manager approaches me "Come into my office we need to talk about your sick leave over the past year"

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Cheers mate. I thought there was something severely wrong with me for the longest time when I went this way. But it's probably got a lot to do with Covid and the way the world is that has made me want to not be a part of it anymore. Not in a suicidal way, just not wanting to be involved with the level of entertainment I once thought was the pinnacle of life.

I still miss travelling but doubt I will ever do anything internationally again. Hence why I am looking at more statewide excursions and the like.

The only silver lining to Covid has been how it has made us appreciate our homes and the safe haven it can be from the chaos of the outside world. I have seen this first hand with how people have been finding joy in gardening and turning their homes into there own oasis.

[slowsnake]

I think you are just getting older and realising it's too bloody hard, to do or be what you used to be, sounds like natural attrition......

Can I say " you old b#stard ".....


Cheers Billy

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

I think you are just getting older and realising it's too bloody hard, to do or be what you used to be, sounds like natural attrition......

Can I say " you old b#stard ".....


Cheers Billy

go right ahead.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by blueoval

go right ahead.

Thank you......




Cheers Billy

[slowsnake]

When I saw my GP this morning I wanted to ask about getting a better not stronger antidepressant, he said what's up mate, and I said well I don't know if it's the cancer, me or something else!.....
I told him for the life of me I can't think straight, I said usually I make quick decisions, but not wether or not to go on chemo!....he said that's your choice to make, he said you don't think like other people, I know exactly what he meant by it, I am a spacey lateral type thinker, and have always assessed problems almost instantly and made a decision in seconds!
But, not this time, do I or don't I have chemo?..big decision too, and am leaning towards not having any adjuvant treatment, and would he look after pain management later on, he said yes of course!

So I'm still on my 1x 100mg Pristiq per day, but I'm not depressed at all, in fact I have until Monday to decide, that's the " not worth the bother after day "
It was a forgone conclusion and almost set in stone 5 weeks ago, but I go to bed thinking about it and wake up the same way?....its crazy....
I don't want the Oncologist to think I'm being non-compliant, it's been suspended 3 times due to illness, then getting my teeth out, I get the stitches removed from my gum tomorrow, it won't be healed by Monday!

Mmmm, life eh, it wasn't designed to be easy, unless your in a rock band, lol......


Cheers Billy

[whitelion65]

Mate,
That’s some pretty heavy stuff you’ve had to go through, and facing your mortality (either way) can be confronting.
I’m in hospital at the moment, for the third time since May. I’ve had trouble with infection in a VP shunt (a line that drains fluid from my brain to my guts). For a bloke who presented suicidal (clinically confirmed) at emergency mental health around two years ago, I’ve found that when it comes down to it, we cling to life (and hope, I guess).
I would go back to your Dr and go over the pros and cons again, even try to see a councilor to help arrange your thoughts.
You seem like a great bloke, from reading your posts. I wish we could have a cool one together and chew the fat.
Stay strong brother.
Steve

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

Mate,
You seem like a great bloke, from reading your posts. I wish we could have a cool one together and chew the fat.
Stay strong brother.
Steve

Thank you, but I can't have a cold one anymore, and chewing the fat, you really need teeth for that!.....lol, joking of course......

I take life as it comes, I try never to dwell on the past, except if they are good happy memories, its too easy to slip into a type of melancholy that only alcohol seems to satisfy, an urge to go back over old ground and old " grudges "......not a good place to be, I like to be in control of my emotions and mouth at all times, but am only human and I take responsibility for all my actions, I do that happily, I never play the blame game, but if I find myself going down that path I quickly assess my situation, good example was when last week I dident take my Pristiq for 4 days, I should of rectified it immediately and dident!.....big mistake by me, I knew better!

As for the cancer, well, it's hard to get my head around that, because I have never had cancer before, I have to rely on others reactions to their past cancer diagnoses, Mmmm, and I can't, I can only hang on for the ride and hope I get to the end with a smile
And I will, I am always smiling, and its real not put on, but thank you for your kind words and positive outlook!

So, that's me done, how are you going?.....in hospital and was/were suicidal, that to me is worse than my current situation, I do not believe in suicide as the panacea for our ills, but when you are battling chemical imbalances in the brain and it seems like you have grey clouds above your head 24/7 is something I can relate to.

Not all of us are " Supermen "....far from it, we are just a group of people all stuck on the same planet, with or without faults we were born with, or developed during our lives.
I most definitely do not believe in VAD, Voluntary Assisted Death, no way could I condone even the thought of ending my life prematurely because it " hurt too much "....I don't want those thoughts in my mind, never mind printed on paper with a Government Stamp of Approval!....what are they thinking, maybe it will take some of the burden off a struggling health system, or free up another bed, who knows, but to me it's murder of self, it's an insult to our Creator, who or whatever that is!

I hope to be concious when my soul/ego leaves my physical body for the end of this incarnation as Billy Slowsnake,.......
It's going to be interesting where I end up and how I get there, it's really an intriguing thought, am I scared of death?...NO......just don't really want too much pain, had enough of that in the rest of my body for a long time, caused according to my beliefs by Karma!...got to have some reason for being here, as different as we all are we are all in the same boat!


You look after yourself, get better soon......


Cheers Billy

[MercuryT]

Hi all and welcome back Shav.

Great to hear from you mate. Nothing wrong with keeping to yourself, everyone is different.

Hope all are doing well despite their different circumstances.

Well, I haven't been too flash to be honest.

I again nearly committed suicide Monday week ago and landed myself in hospital (again).

This time though I wasn't able to leave so was placed in the level 1 Psych Ward where you can't leave unless with approval - in other words, you are locked up.

The staff were mostly great, the patients were very supportive as equally struggling, but I have to say it was a very distressing experience.

I was there for 4 days and didn't see sunlight but was very well fed, nice room etc so i'm certainly not complaining.

Need to get on top of this as apparently if it happens again i'll go to level 2 and it won't be 4 days, more like 4 months.........i'm no danger to anyone else, but that is the policy of health to save people from themselves.

So i'm all good and back to work asap who are aware and have been very supportive.

So as always stay safe all and yes, keep out of the psych wards if at all possible as it's very long, lonely, sad days.......

Cheers, Merc

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Hi all and welcome back Shav.

Great to hear from you mate. Nothing wrong with keeping to yourself, everyone is different.

Hope all are doing well despite their different circumstances.

Well, I haven't been too flash to be honest.

I again nearly committed suicide Monday week ago and landed myself in hospital (again).

This time though I wasn't able to leave so was placed in the level 1 Psych Ward where you can't leave unless with approval - in other words, you are locked up.

The staff were mostly great, the patients were very supportive as equally struggling, but I have to say it was a very distressing experience.

I was there for 4 days and didn't see sunlight but was very well fed, nice room etc so i'm certainly not complaining.

Need to get on top of this as apparently if it happens again i'll go to level 2 and it won't be 4 days, more like 4 months.........i'm no danger to anyone else, but that is the policy of health to save people from themselves.

So i'm all good and back to work asap who are aware and have been very supportive.

So as always stay safe all and yes, keep out of the psych wards if at all possible as it's very long, lonely, sad days.......

Cheers, Merc

So sorry to hear mate. That's is sad news. I had no idea you were there and I wish I was in the same state to even visit.

Please keep in touch mate even by email. If I can help in a small way even by being a listening ear I will.

[MercuryT]

Originally Posted by blueoval

So sorry to hear mate. That's is sad news. I had no idea you were there and I wish I was in the same state to even visit.

Please keep in touch mate even by email. If I can help in a small way even by being a listening ear I will.

No visitors allowed mate.

Complete lockdown and isolation outside the common area with other patients.

Will do mate and sorry my legal advice wasn't as comprehensive as you maybe hoped for - this probably explains why Shav.

Merc

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Every Body,
Here we all are still and so is COVID still with us. The good news is we all will be out of lock down later thus month.
I did a mental Health course in 2018 because i was doing Community Driving at the time.

The beauty of this form and this post is we can all get things off our chest, blow a little bit of steam off and we can talk to our mates and keep in touch with them.

I have a close mate who was a Police Officer for 30 years and now his retired and he has issues.
He tells me on the phone that keeping busy helps the most, and writing how his feeling and talking to me on the phone does wonder's for him he say's.

Were not all bulletproof and asking for a hand or asking for help is Not a sign of weakness its the thing to do.

[Cav]

I have thought about posting here for some time.

Like many people, I have suffered trauma and it is still with me today.

What we have to learn is how to live a normal life regardless of what happened in the past.

I am a Vietnam Veteran and I served as an infantry soldier for 1 year and 3 weeks in Vietnam in 1970/71 and I have PTSD.

I sought help over the years once you fight and overcome the denial.

Psychiatrists tend to want to medicate and attend courses.

A specialist in North Sydney helped me immensely when I was about 50 years of age.

I was then referred to a local psychologist in Wollongong where I was living at the time.

He was fantastic. He conned me into helping him with some training courses for veterans, so I agreed to have a look at them and I made a report and detailed how I thought the courses could be improved. Well, it was just a ruse.

In explaining my ideas I ended up breaking down over some issues that were buried deep inside me.

From there, he worked on me for 12 months and in the end, I could talk about my issues without breaking down.

This was brought home to me in Feb this year where I attended a commemorative service at Ennogara Barracks in Brisbane with all my mates commemorating the death of a mate 50 years after the event.

I was heavily involved with my mate. He was a machine gunner and I was his number two. We practically lived together for more than 12 months side by side until a mine incident killed him and seriously injured another mate.

I was MC for the event at Ennogora Barracks and as a few mates stepped forward to say a few words, they were overcome with grief.

Although many memories came flooding back to me, I was still OK to carry on the service and it occurred to me that the other blokes had not come to terms with my mate's death.

You see, we all suffer from 'survival guilt' - a common problem with veterans.

Well in a roundabout way, I'll tell you how the psychologist cured me.

It was with the use of pressure points and positive reinforcement.

That is, tapping various parts of the body and saying positive statements.

It sounds rather silly.

I had forgotten this until I came across this video



So if you are suffering from depression or anxiety, why not give this a shot as detailed in the video - it won't happen overnight, but what have you got to lose?

When I was really suffering a friend got me to attend a Yoga Nidra course. I did this for about 12 months and I found it really good although they were a bunch of weird people doing this and looked at me, a Vietnam Veteran in their midst, a little bit funny-like. Maybe they thought a jungle-trained baby killer didn't fit in.

Don't be afraid to try new things.

You only get one shot a life - make the most of it.

Cheers

Cav

ps I have written a book about my experiences in Vietnam I can send you a digital copy if you message me. But be warned there are plenty of pictures of me.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Cav

......Well in a roundabout way, I'll tell you how the psychologist cured me.

It was with the use of pressure points and positive reinforcement.

That is, tapping various parts of the body and saying positive statements.

It sounds rather silly.

I had forgotten this until I came across this video

<snip>

So if you are suffering from depression or anxiety, why not give this a shot as detailed in the video - it won't happen overnight, but what have you got to lose?

......

Reminds me of Tony Robbins strategy on "anchoring"......not exactly the same as the pressure point technique, but pretty similar. And it freaken works!




PS. The hypnotherapist that got the most out of me was also a vet. He was a 10 pound pom (that's what he called himself) and we got to the stage where we regarded each other more as friends than anything else, and that's when he shared with me some of his stories. He was in the navy. Pretty eye opening stuff. It was his experience and trauma in the navy that pushed him into psychology, and then hypnotherapy. He is in his 90s now. I still remember the last few sessions he would provide his services in exchange for me fixing his car...like changing spark plugs.....didn't want cash. There are some awesome people in this world.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Cav

When I was really suffering a friend got me to attend a Yoga Nidra course. I did this for about 12 months and I found it really good although they were a bunch of weird people doing this and looked at me, a Vietnam Veteran in their midst, a little bit funny-like. Maybe they thought a jungle-trained baby killer didn't fit in.


Cheers

Cav

ps I have written a book about my experiences in Vietnam I can send you a digital copy if you message me. But be warned there are plenty of pictures of me.

Hello Cav,
I picked this paragraph to quote because it seems strange to me that your opinion of others seeing you as a " jungle trained baby killer " is your interpretation not theirs?

What about they saw you as " a Vietnam Veteran with PTSD " that has led you to their group after 50 years of struggling with it alone in your head!
As you said " it seemed to help you "

Do you meditate at all?...and if so what type or form of meditation do you practice, you seem to have your sh.t together here on the forum, which may actually be helping you cope with things, not necessarily PTSD, but just day to day communication with others!

Look after yourself mate, my Dad had severe PTSD, but we never realised until after he died in 1986, when Mum went to get his WW2 medals, I asked her not to, Dad always told me when I asked about his war service medals and why he never had his medals, he'd say " what for son " and that was it!

But he was merchant navy, a galley boy aged 13 on Ocean Liners, that was 1936, and they turned into troopships virtually overnight in 1939, but he just would not talk about it, and back then it was called shell shock I think!

It's certainly a very strange world we inhabit, all of it, the good the bad and the unseen!

[Citroënbender]

So - the NSW Government has committed to spending an extra $130M on mental health, apparently in recognition of the dual impacts of lockdown and pandemic.

It sounds good, but - I’m (cynically) curious how this will be directed to benefit people in need; it’s not like there are counsellors and psychologists waiting to hear “Ready, set, go!” - all report being grossly overstretched as it stands. And to entice practitioners here from other states would be a craven act.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

So - the NSW Government has committed to spending an extra $130M on mental health, apparently in recognition of the dual impacts of lockdown and pandemic.

It sounds good, but - I’m (cynically) curious how this will be directed to benefit people in need; it’s not like there are counsellors and psychologists waiting to hear “Ready, set, go!” - all report being grossly overstretched as it stands. And to entice practitioners here from other states would be a craven act.

The pledge is a start I suppose. Can't do much without having the $ to back you up.

Signs are there that we will be running some significant skilled migration programmes to lure skilled migrants over, and qualified mental health workers will probably be on the list.

Whilst there will be an increase in mental health needs in some areas, other areas may see a reduction. One of the positives out of lock down was the closure of those pokies den. I wonder how many lives saved from that. Will it kick off again when we open up? Who knows. They say it takes 3 months to kick a habit, hopefully its been long enough for some to do just that.

What would be really good is if some of the money was spent on setting up affordable health retreats. I don't think there are enough here? Have a couple of friends who have been on them overseas, one spent many thousands just to help her stop drinking, she was 30 at the time, and it worked. I can't see why we can't set up similar facilities here.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

So - the NSW Government has committed to spending an extra $130M on mental health, apparently in recognition of the dual impacts of lockdown and pandemic.

It sounds good, but - I’m (cynically) curious how this will be directed to benefit people in need; it’s not like there are counsellors and psychologists waiting to hear “Ready, set, go!” - all report being grossly overstretched as it stands. And to entice practitioners here from other states would be a craven act.

More TV and radio advertising for mental health services availability is usually where the money goes, also injecting extra cash into existing voluntary organisations.
You would hope this amount of money is going on top of what the government usually budgets for each year.

[blueoval]

Not coping today.

It's not a nice thing to say, but I really dislike people. Especially greedy and self entitled ones.

I just want off this planet.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by blueoval

I really dislike people. Especially greedy and self entitled ones.

Amen.
Worse when they are related to you

[FTE217]

Hey you blueoval, turn the other way, breath in out for sometimes walk away.
Its all ok clear the head.

[FTE217]

and Cav, I haven't dropped in this thread for a little time.
Your post is the BEST I love what you put down !
Brilliant mate.

far out and to see commercial robbins mentioned later, money grabbing bs, sorry the way I saw him. The hillsonger type of the industry.
Few friends got trapped into his crap, didn't work out for them.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Hey you blueoval, turn the other way, breath in out for sometimes walk away.
Its all ok clear the head.

easier said than done.

Imagine your own family texting you how disappointed they are of you regularly for lies being being spread by other family members.

[Citroënbender]

That’s pretty rotten. I’m genuinely sorry.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by blueoval

easier said than done.

Imagine your own family texting you how disappointed they are of you regularly for lies being being spread by other family members.

fk em all off and run your own race

be free

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by blueoval

easier said than done.

Imagine your own family texting you how disappointed they are of you regularly for lies being being spread by other family members.

Mate I hear you believe me.
Many of us with fam have same and similar bs.
Myself and wife of 8 kids we have been going through absolute bs ringer for years and a lot of this behind your back lies by so called loving sidlings.
More so my wife’s ones.
2 have lately been excluded from our lives.
They have had many chances to front up face to face to clear the air put it on the table.
Just wrong.
Even effected our own 3 kids not wanting them be part of our family.
I had to talk our 2 sons out from fronting them themselves for it’s not their doing but they felt so how they made their mum feel and in turn putting pressure on home and me.
No it’s not easy nothing is in family when it’s not the usual happy go lucky gatherings but they don’t live under your roof.
We decided our own family comes first and our own mental health.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by blueoval

easier said than done.

Imagine your own family texting you how disappointed they are of you regularly for lies being being spread by other family members.

Happens all the time fella. Not to many perfect families out there. Find someone you feel comfortable with to have a yarn, or take a decent walk, clear your head..............

[sneaky]

been a while since anyone posted here so I'll have a turn.

I flicked my counsellor a message last week to make a booking to speak to her. I figured I should quickly write down the thing that I wanted to speak about. I quickly got to 7 bullet points - things that had been weighing on my mind. It had been a few months between sessions, so I guess I should have been speaking to her more often.

I had a session with her a few days later and the conversation flowed around issues I had spoken about months ago and things going on between sessions, barely touched my list of issues.

From now on I will be having more frequent check ins with her to keep on top of things.

There wasn't any huge standout item, money, kids, new partner, work and the joy of trying to balance all of these things.

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by blueoval

easier said than done.

Imagine your own family texting you how disappointed they are of you regularly for lies being being spread by other family members.

How you travelling now fella ?

[slowsnake]

How's ya throwing arm Blue Oval?
Just get a couple of dozen eggs and leave em in the sun for a week, then hide in some bushes and just pelt the bastards in the middle of the night.
Don't solve anything, but, geez it will make you feel good!